Different conditions, different strings or even racquets?

[ron schaap]

I almost never read on this for the influence of conditions like weather on the choice of strings. It can be a difference of night and day. E.g. i m playing a tournament this week. First match during warm afternoon with new balls. Yesterday late in the evening, cool and little damp weather and used balls. During first match i could use the control string Weisscannon ultra cable, but during the second it gave not enough power. So i had to use another racquet strung with Solinco Tourbite 1.20 that had lost some tension after stringing. So unless we are playing each time in same conditions, we do need several racquets with different strings . Not because we break often strings!
What are your thoughts about it?

 

[Wheelz]

I think I've read a few times people changing string tension depending on season of the year. Less in the winter.

You could string two racquets at different tension or in the warmup try to find your feel for the weather. Start by hitting deep without ripping the ball. Adjust if it's long or short.

 

[mctennis]

I have three racquets with different tensions. One for hot conditions, one for indoors, one for cooler weather.

 

[TagUrIt]

Yes the weather conditions can absolutely can have an impact on your game.

From the man himself!

 

[Injured Again]

I've come to realize that for me, changing tensions and/or strings for cold versus hot weather is much more about maintaining the same launch angle than speed of shot off the stringbed. As long as I have that predictability off the stringbed, I can compensate for length of shot in the same way I do when the wind may be at my back or in my face as I change sides.

 

[LocNetMonster]

Yeah, (un)fortunately some people might need different string set ups for different environmental conditions. FWIW, I drop my base tension gradually in the fall until it is time to move indoors. The difference between my summer outdoor and winter indoor tension is ballpark +/- 10 pounds.

"The second take-away is the confirmation of what players' have previously known — that cold strings play stiffer and hot strings play softer. This is expected. Confirming beliefs and behaviors is as important, if not as sexy, as exposing the myths and follies of our concepts. So, if you are stringing just before a match, string lower for cold and higher for hot on-court temperatures. " From TW Uni ... http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/temperature.php

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Definitely like my doubles stick tension a few lbs under my singles one.

Other than that, no real difference.

 

[socallefty]

Definitely like my doubles stick tension a few lbs under my singles one.

Other than that, no real difference.

Can you please explain why you do this and how it helps? Doubles requires more precision and serve/shot accuracy to smaller target spots typically and I would think your power matters less and control is paramount. Wouldn’t you get more control with higher tension? Just trying to understand the thought process as it is counter-intuitive to me.

I don’t change my tension for singles or doubles, but will play with the fresher string job when I play singles - but this is because I care more about my singles results and want to play singles matches with the best available racquet which would presumably be the one that is newly strung.

I do keep racquets at different tensions varying by 2-3 lbs - higher tension when it is hotter, lower tension when it is colder or for night-time play when it is cooler and more humid. Sometimes, I might use the lower tension racquet if the opponent brings out low-pressure Costco balls which don’t bounce much and die faster. I don’t change strings for different conditions though as that would require too much adjustment from match to match.

 

[fuzz nation]

I like to string my own frames with syn. gut and often prefer the 17 ga. version over 16 ga. - it seems to give me better feel.

When it's rather hot in the middle of the summer, I might switch to a 16 ga. to give me a string bed that's not as prone to softening too much in the higher mid-day temps. When I have to play outdoors in late March and early April with the high school teams I coach, I'll drop tension in at least one racquet by 5 lbs. so that it doesn't feel like a rock.

Different gear for different conditions - yes. I keep two different frames in my bag all the time. One is more helpful for slugging around the baseline, serving big, and is also decent enough around the net with my all-court game. These racquets are my Volkl C10's. My other ones are a pair of Volkl's Organix 10's, which are a little less powerful, but generate boatloads of spin for me and also have a punchy feel around the net that I sometimes prefer for doubles. I also love these frames for easier hitting, teaching, and feeding. Because they give me more spin and control than top end power, they're usually my first choice for hitting on clay.

Also love having different frames from the same brand because the grip profiles are very similar. Switching off isn't a big deal because the grip feels familiar in my hand.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Can you please explain why you do this and how it helps? Doubles requires more precision and serve/shot accuracy to smaller target spots typically and I would think your power matters less and control is paramount. Wouldn’t you get more control with higher tension? Just trying to understand the thought process as it is counter-intuitive to me.

I don’t change my tension for singles or doubles, but will play with the fresher string job when I play singles - but this is because I care more about my singles results and want to play singles matches with the best available racquet which would presumably be the one that is newly strung.

I do keep racquets at different tensions varying by 2-3 lbs - higher tension when it is hotter, lower tension when it is colder or for night-time play when it is cooler and more humid. Sometimes, I might use the lower tension racquet if the opponent brings out low-pressure Costco balls which don’t bounce much and die faster. I don’t change strings for different conditions though as that would require too much adjustment from match to match.

Just find that its better in dubs to take a more close in position, so there is less time for a full backswing, which makes a lower tension more helpful.

I totally agree with you on the "smaller target" analysis of the doubles game.

But the adjustment should be in the stroke, not so much the string.

 

[elee3]

Not only do I vary my strings and tensions according to weather, also vary all of that according to my own physical condition. Since early 2000s I've by using POG Longbody with poly mains with some sort of nylon cross. Last 4 years ago, been using racquets that are a lot more muted and feels a lot more softer so had to switch to full poly hybrids to get a little more feel in the racquet. Summers I usually play 50-55 pounds with my stiffer polys (Pro Evolution) and 45-50 pounds in winter with my softer, more powerful polys (Gosen G-Tour 3). Crosses I use Weisscannon Red Ghost for past year, it gives a higher launch compared to round polys as a cross. Recently I switched to Wilson Revolve for my cross to make my crosses a lot more slick, launch for sure is lower than Red Ghost, less power, more control. Recently with the COVID and being worked to death at home, haven't been working out as much so I had to lower the tension versus how I use to string them.

 

[USPTARF97]

Once the temps start to go down in the fall I drop the tension a couple of lbs.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I will play a flatter hitting racket on hard courts and a more topspin friendly racket on clay courts. That's pretty much all I change for conditions.

Micromanaging weather conditions is not going to change your winning odds in such a wildly imperfect sport as tennis. That being said, it probably makes some sense to have lower tensions on some rackets if temperature shifts are quite massive where you live. Where I live, playing temperatures are rarely above 75F and rarely below 60F.

I know in golf I will play a softer ball in cold weather but there we are talking 45F.

 

[Tennisist]

In extreme heat, I fair better with very high-strung racquets (52 lbs poly for me). Anything lower, and the ball flies uncontrollably. On the other hand, if I try to play with this setup under normal conditions or in the fall, that racquet will be just "dead". But the string tension is a relatively minor inconvenience, not a fatal one.

Far more important than the tension, for me is the overall racquet weight. When the heat comes, somehow, my muscles just cannot swing my usual racquet fast enough. I have to go a much (~10-15 g) lighter racquet (same balance). You know that you have this, when you pick your usual racquet, and it just "feels heavy". Trying to play with this condition absolutely ruins every shot for me. I always keep a light racquet in my bag -- just for cases such as this.

 

[lim]

I am definitely conscious of how conditions are affecting how my ball is coming off the stringbed. Especially hot days or new balls I always go to a higher tension. I usually keep 2 at my normal tension and one 1-2 lb lower. I think stringing for yourself also has something to do with it because I can make adjustments on the fly..

 

[jmacdaununder2]

I will play a flatter hitting racket on hard courts and a more topspin friendly racket on clay courts. That's pretty much all I change for conditions.

Micromanaging weather conditions is not going to change your winning odds in such a wildly imperfect sport as tennis. That being said, it probably makes some sense to have lower tensions on some rackets if temperature shifts are quite massive where you live. Where I live, playing temperatures are rarely above 75F and rarely below 60F.

I know in golf I will play a softer ball in cold weather but there we are talking 45F.

Damn, that temperature variation sounds nice; a couple of hours around the coast from Melbourne I’ve experienced a 40C afternoon temp drop to 7C by early evening.

 

[Frankc]

Yes, good points, for less tension for those climes that are cool/cold but tennis is doable year round. We play outdoors 10+ months here. A "nice " mid winter day here can be 45F with little wind. Natural gut is King in the winter.
Two racquets are currently in play in my bag - Pacific X Tour 97 Pro strung similarly w/natty G with multi hybrid and Fischer Pro Mid (Austrian made) with a thin multi.The Pacific is my playing frame most of the time and the Fischer is my dream frame (dream that I could still wield that every day).
Like to practice serves and strokes with the Fischer - I call this my learning frame ( either I stay on my toes with feet and technique or I get scolded). Also a great "hitting feel" and is fine for mixed and drilling... But the Pacific is a sound compromise for me - superb control and good pop - in a 315 gram package...

 

[Johnny505]

.